London's 1000 most influential people 2011: Politics

Monday 7 November 2011 15:52 BST

David CameronPrime MinisterAfter 18 months at No 10, Cameron has grown in stature and authority. As Tory leader he is unchallenged, as Premier he is refreshingly (for those who toiled under Gordon Brown) witty and tantrum-free. He was responsive in the riots and ruthless in the Alternative Vote referendum. Still haunted by his decision to hire Andy Coulson as his PR man and suffered a big Tory rebellion over Europe. But unless Dave is crushed by the economy, he could dominate Westminster for years to come.

Ed MilibandLeader of the OppositionHe showed the same boldness in taking on Rupert Murdoch over hacking that saw him beat his brother David to the Labour crown. Miliband has also proved a tough Commons performer who often beats Cameron at Question Time. Labour has tilted to the Left under his leadership, while a steady series of reforms is changing the party's organisation and outlook.

Nick CleggDeputy Prime MinisterScorned in the opinion polls, battered in the AV referendum disaster, plotted against by his own side. But Clegg holds the levers of power tightly through a maze of Cabinet committee seats and increasingly dares to tweak them to his party's advantage - and to the fury of jealous Conservatives. His leadership of the Liberal Democrats should last as long as the Coalition.

George OsborneChancellorHis stature grows as analysts watch the fate of countries that shirked confidence-building austerity measures. Osborne has taken more painful decisions than any Chancellor since Geoffrey Howe. Tories admire his strategic brain. The City is starting to agree. Nobody says "Boy George" any more about the baronet's son and heir to the Osborne & Little wallpaper firm. And no one has more clout with David Cameron.

Ed BallsShadow chancellorRegarded as Labour's "real deputy leader", Balls is hugged close by Ed Miliband. Slowly shedding some ghosts of his past as Gordon Brown's backroom plotter, he is seen by many as the party's next leader - unless wife Yvette Cooper gets there first. Common touch includes penchants for soccer, pizza and, er, Spandau Ballet.

Danny AlexanderTreasury Chief SecretaryHugely respected for his nerve under fire, Alexander is the Lib-Dem Tory ministers most trust. After seeing him slice their budgets, they stopped laughing at his resemblance to Beaker from the Muppet Show.

Gabby BertinDavid Cameron's press secretaryStylish and streetwise, Bertin is the glamorous brunette glimpsed at Cameron's right side. The Purley Queen left a City job to join the Tories and is trusted completely to fight her boss's corner.

Jeremy HeywoodPermanent Secretary, No 10Just confirmed as the new GOD in Whitehall, he starts in the New Year, focusing on policy advice. Major, Blair and Brown adored his skill, charm and talent for oiling wheels. Briefly served as Morgan Stanley investment banker.

Vince CableBusiness SecretaryFloored by the "at war with Murdoch" gaffe a year ago, saved when everyone agreed with Saint Vince's judgment. The bête noir of Tory Right-wingers. He will be over 70 at the next election - but can't be ruled out for the Lib-Dem leadership.

William HagueForeign SecretaryEurozone chaos has fully vindicated his old fight to "save the pound". Rose in stature during the Arab Spring. Razor-sharp and witty, a born executive who has brought single-minded focus to the Foreign Office.

Steve HiltonDirector of Strategy, No 10He now has a desk next to Ed Llewellyn and Jeremy Heywood, reflecting his importance to Dave. Forget huskies - the barefoot svengali is reborn as Thatcherite policy guru. Mad about Nudge behavioural economics, Hilton might yet be tempted by the private sector. Married to Rachel Whetstone, Google's PR supremo.

Michael GoveEducation SecretaryA success with free schools has boosted his reputation as a competent radical. Endowed with an über-brain, the former Moral Maze panellist has a legion of Right-wing admirers, including, it is whispered, Norman Tebbit, despite being close to Cameron.

Theresa MayHome SecretaryHer standing has soared at the Home Office, not least for scraping her kitten heels down some Lib-Dem ankles. Perhaps the late Alan Clark, who once drooled of having discovered "the next Margaret", will be vindicated.

Justine GreeningTransport SecretaryTipped as a rising star since she won Putney at the 2005 general election, and has been fast-tracked into the Cabinet following Liam Fox's abrupt exit. Not known for being ideological, which may be an asset, as is being female when David Cameron is accused of turning off women voters.

Ed LlewellynPrime Minister's chief of staffA sharp mover on the dancefloor, he keeps guards on Cameron's door. Like Dave, he came through Eton, Oxford and the Conservative Research Department and they are proper mates.

Jonathan EvansMI5, director-generalThe head of the Security Service since 2007 is also its foremost expert on counter-terrorism and the Russians. His success is measured in the number of thwarted plots that the public never even heard about.

Robert ChoteOffice for Budget Responsibility, chairEx-Financial Times journo, statistics nerd and fearless critic of chancellors past and present, who now heads the UK's first permanent economic forecaster. Even Ed Balls says he will accept his judgments in future.

Chuka UmunnaShadow Business SecretaryAfter a stint as Ed Miliband's PPS, the Streatham MP was fast-tracked to the shadow cabinet where he faces off against Vince Cable. An ex-lawyer, he has brains (he made Barclays squirm over its corporate tax avoidance), plus movie star looks and street cred in abundance.

Iain Duncan SmithWork and Pensions SecretaryQuickly being elevated to the status of guru, IDS is much more respected than when he was merely Tory leader. He is the party's social conscience and a radical reformer in welfare.

Oliver LetwinPolicy adviser, No 10Sometimes compared to the late Keith Joseph, the Old Etonian ex-merchant banker has a roaming brief and is underestimated by outsiders. Good on detail, bad on refuse disposal (he threw away papers in St James's Park).

Kate FallDavid Cameron's deputy chief of staffSuperbly well-connected, knew Dave since Oxford, guards the PM's diary and secures time for donors and MPs. Her father, a former ambassador to Russia, was said to have helped Vladimir Putin's rise to power.

Chris HuhneEnergy and Climate Change SecretaryThose pesky speeding points, revealed by ex-wife Vicky Pryce, may have derailed his leadership hopes but the Westminster and Sorbonne-educated Left-winger carries huge clout. Born Christopher Paul-Huhne, he de-poshed at Oxford.

Francis MaudeCabinet Office MinisterAlong with Oliver Letwin, one of the quietly huge powers in Whitehall. Keen cost-cutter. His career (ex-Treasury minister, shadow chancellor, Tory chairman) was reborn as Cameron's progress-chaser.

Steve WebbMinister for PensionsMega-brainy Lib-Dem Leftie who stunned colleagues with how well he has hit it off with fellow Christian Iain Duncan Smith in the cockpit of radical welfare cuts and reform.

Yvette CooperShadow home secretaryDon't call her Mrs Balls. Labour MPs have belatedly realised she might be a terrific party leader. Ultra-clever, but down to earth, a pal of Bill Clinton and has a track record as a minister. Rising fast.

Polly MackenzieDeputy head of policy, No 10Brainy Welsh Lib-Dem who took up the Gurkha cause and wrote key speeches for Clegg. At No 10 she shadows Steve Hilton and scours through papers for Lib-Dem elephant traps.

Sadiq KhanShadow justice ministerThe first Muslim privy counsellor is London bus driver's son, who became transport minister. Very loyal to Ed Miliband, whose leadership campaign he ran. MP for Tooting.

Richard ReevesSpecial Adviser to Nick CleggDubbed "the left half" of Nick Clegg's brain, he is a former director of think tank Demos, economics journalist, and biographer of John Stuart Mill. He's said to sneak references to the liberal philosopher into Mr Clegg's speeches.

Rupert HarrisonSpecial adviser to the ChancellorWhen George Osborne makes a deal, Harrison stays behind to nail the detail. He's been Osborne's chief economic adviser since 2006 and has charm to match a brilliant brain. Was sent to the US primaries in 2008.

Lord WoodSenior aide to Ed MilibandA politics tutor at Magdalen, Oxford, Stewart Wood provides experience (he was one of Gordon's closest aides) and nous for Ed, who gratefully made him Baron Wood of Anfield.

Tim FarronLiberal Democrat presidentThe Dr Martens-wearing MP is tipped as leader if Nick Clegg gets the boot. Played to the gallery at party conference with talk of a coalition "divorce" but needs to find a new seat due to boundary changes.

Grant ShappsHousing ministerA qualified pilot and ambitious, he is soaring up the Tory ranks. He once slept on the pavement of Victoria station on Christmas Eve to learn about the homeless. Some see shades of Tony Blair in his classless style.

Jim MurphyShadow defence secretaryThe Scot kept feet in both the Blair and Brown camps during the Labour civil war. A fitness fanatic, he enjoys playing with a Hornby train set. He claimed Liam Fox's scalp in recent scandal.

Mark Pritchard1922 Committee, SecretaryRuns the Tory backbench group. Outspoken and trusted by Right-wingers to deliver unwelcome messages to the Prime Minister. As a fearless member of the "Men in Grey Suits", Pritchard once told Speaker John Bercow "You're not f***ing royalty!"

Lord OakeshottLiberal Democrat peerA multi-millionaire critic of bankers' excesses, he resigned as Lib-Dem Treasury spokesman in the Lords over the Project Merlin deal between the Government and the banks on lending and bonuses. Also used Parliamentary privilege to reveal that ex-RBS banker Sir Fred Goodwin had taken out a super-injunction.

Douglas AlexanderShadow foreign secretaryWee Dougie has one of Labour's best strategic brains and successfully carved out his own identity after years as Gordon Brown's protégé.

Keith VazChairman of home affairs committeeLord Falconer called him the "best networker" he had ever met and David Cameron once choked on seeing a signed photo of Vaz in his local Indian restaurant. Superb Commons interrogator, he grilled police chiefs over phone-hacking.

Philip HammondDefence SecretaryDestined for the Treasury, the Jaguar-driving, well-tailored MP was diverted as part of the Lib-Con coalition deal to take over at transport where he pushed for Tube upgrade plans. Now the safe pair of hands has taken over Defence after Liam Fox's exit.

Tom WatsonLabour Party deputy chairmanThe former Brownite bruiser is his party's pin-up after relentless campaigning on the phone-hacking scandal brought down the News of the World - and he isn't finished yet. Now in charge of Labour campaigns.

Lord Glasman"Blue Labour" guruControversial free thinker who has been accused of sexism and xenophobia but continues to produce radical policy ideas blending socialism and conservatism in a bid to win back working class and squeezed middle voters. Made a peer by Ed Miliband, who pays close attention.

Jo SwinsonLiberal Democrat MPRising star who looks a sure bet for ministerial office and is a possible Clegg successor. At just 31 she is already deputy leader in Scotland and aide to Business Secretary Vince Cable. Campaigns against airbrushing and Easter Egg packaging show a popular touch.

Priti PatelTory MPEmerging as a powerful voice on key issues including law and order and Europe. The cricket and horse-racing fan became the first female Asian Conservative MP in 2010. She was deputy press secretary to William Hague and used to work for PR firm Weber Shandwick.

Rachel ReevesShadow Treasury secretaryBig promotion this year for the former Bank of England economist. Newly elected in 2010 as Labour MP for Leeds West, the 32-year-old is sceptical and articulate about the threat posed by deep public-sector cuts. Tipped widely as a future leader. Grab her for lunch while you can.

Luciana BergerShadow energy and climate change ministerStriking looks and early controversies over being parachuted into a safe Liverpool seat led many to underestimate the 30-year-old Londoner. But they do so at their peril - the former political consultant with remarkable contacts in Westminster (including the Blairs) pulls a lot of strings behind the scenes.

Louise MenschTory MPFew chick-lit authors make the step into Parliament but the former Louise Bagshawe has emerged as a surprise star thanks to her no-nonsense questioning on the culture committee probing phone hacking. A former EMI music industry press officer, she married Metallica's manager in June.

Michael DugherShadow minister without portfolioBrought in by Ed Miliband to shore up his message. The former Brown spin doctor is also a karaoke lover who chairs Parliament's brass band group - a big deal in his Barnsley East seat.

Craig OliverDirector of Communications, No 10Celebrated for creating the images of Cameron and Barack Obama playing table tennis and frying burgers, the ex-Beeb and ITN exec thinks pictures instead of words. Was brought in to guard the PM's image after shamed Andy Coulson quit.

Tom BaldwinDirector of Strategy, Labour PartyAlong with former Mirror man Bob Roberts, he transformed Red Ed's media operation, boosting the speed and impact of the Opposition. The former Times journo is accused of past misdeeds by old Tory foe Lord Ashcroft but not lethally, so far.

David LawsLib-Dem MPFew Cabinet ministers fall from grace so dramatically as Laws did over his expenses or recover so quickly to again be influencing party policy. With new purpose and confidence in his step, it is only a matter of time before the ex-Chief Secretary to the Treasury is back in government.